Don'T Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight

by Rujuta Diwekar

Don’t lose your mind, by complicating something as simple as feeding yourself

First, know that every time you talk about weight loss, what you are actually trying to achieve is fat loss. Second, focus on the essentials: eating right and eating on time. Fat loss, remember, just happens. Once you follow the easy to understand and (surprisingly) easy to practice principles, you will notice that you feel different in as little as two weeks.

Diet is not starvation.

Don’t go for diet plans which deprive you of food or make you eat only one type of food. The point is to never regain the weight you have lost. For this to happen you have to understand how your body works and show the commitment to eat the right food at the right time.

Any programme which discourages you from exercising is worthless.

Being on a diet might help you lose weight, but without exercise we lose our muscles and bone density. And loss of bone density and muscle is ageing. The human body is designed for continuous activity.

The least we can do is give it 30 to 45 minutes of exercise for 3 days a week to keep it in good shape and condition. The body works on one basic principle: use it or lose it. Humans were born with a tail remember? We lost our tail because we never used it. We might soon lose out on our muscle...

Fat occupies a lot of volume on the body and weighs very little. Muscle, is denser, so it occupies much less space but will weigh a lot. (Compare fat to 1 kilo cotton and muscle to 1 kilo iron. Can you see what I am saying?

Same weight but big difference in their volume or the space they occupy.) This is why people often look flabby after their ‘diets’. So stop holding your body for ransom on the weighing scale. Why do you need to know how much you weigh? It is no indicator of health or fitness levels. Know that the higher the amount of lean body weight you carry, the greater your fat burning capacity.

Its nutrients only work for us if we eat it at as a meal by itself: as a morning meal or after exercise, and not as a dessert after dinner.

Fruitd

We have teeth and gums which are meant for chewing food. Making a juice out of vegetables and fruits (no matter how fresh the fruit, or how expensive your juicer) robs you of all their vitamins and minerals.

And even if you retain the fibre or add the fibre back to your juice, you have destroyed its structure. You are now drinking coloured water which has lost its nutrients; because the surface area of the fruit has increased, and exposure to the air and surroundings has already oxidised its nutrients. Fruits contain antioxidants. Ideally, they should get oxidised in your body and not outside it.

The clients suffered from this condition not because of soy but because they cut all other nutrients from their diet. They received no nutrition from any other food groups because they were overdoing the very healthy soy.

There is still no concrete evidence linking soy to breast cancer, but what is beyond doubt is that cancer is more likely in people with stress, little or no exercise, and whose diets are poor in nutrients but rich in calories.

Whether we are talking about fruits or soy or some other miracle food, one thing is for sure: if there are reports glorifying it today, in a couple of years there will be reports of it harming you.

To summarise: there is really nothing like ‘safe food’ or ‘fattening food’. Everything that you eat judiciously, at the right time and in the right quantity, is good for you. All foods provide us with specific nutrients which play a unique role in our body or metabolism. When we demonise one food type or glorify another, we completely miss the point.

So the best solution is to never go on a diet. Seriously. If I am saying this as a dietician, I either have gone bonkers or I am talking about some groundbreaking gene therapy. But it’s none of the above. The reality is that for permanent changes in your body and to stay lean all your life (or even bikini-ready), you have to make sure that you never ‘go’ on a diet.

ability to digest food is highest between 7 am to 10 am, and many of us give it chai, coffee, cigarettes instead.

Thus we actually work at making our stomachs dull and our digestive enzymes weak. We barely grab our lunch, and generally eat light till 5 pm. After that, as the stomach starts winding down and wants to rest, we load it with bhel puri, sev puri, grilled sandwiches, some more tea, coffee and cigarettes. Later

but we need to understand that food is about providing nourishment to the body and not about overcoming boredom or stale relationships. And have you noticed that when you eat food as entertainment or as a distraction from some niggling thought, it’s always something that is calorie dense, extremely sweet or extremely salty? And no, your boredom or thoughts don’t go away after eating that pastry or chips, in fact they are still very much there. So what are you going to do? Reach for another one?

What’s the biggest thing that we have to learn? The biggest lesson that we have to learn is to stop eating before reaching the overeating threshold. Now the question is, how do we stop before we reach the overeating threshold? And how do we recognise it?

Savour every bit of what you eat, slowly and mindfully, and you will naturally find your threshold. All you need to train yourself to do, is to be attentive to your stomach.

Guidelines Before eating: Switch off your phone, TV and computer. Wash your hands (use a soap). Serve yourself half of what you usually eat, on a nice, clean plate. Preferably adopt the crosslegged posture or sit at your usual dining place. While eating: Drink a glass of water. Start eating (preferably with your hands) and eat slowly. Chew your food slowly and deliberately. Use the entire mouth and don’t just chew from 1 side of your jaw. While you still have food in your mouth don’t pick up the food from your plate (Keeping food ready in your hands or on your spoon means you are eating fast and will ultimately overeat.) Eat with all your senses and think about how the food is nourishing you from within. Now if you want to eat some more, serve yourself a second helping from the other half that’s left. But don’t eat it all. After eating Don’t be in a rush to get up and get going. Stay where you are for a few minutes. If you’re clearing up yourself, pick up your plate and clean it with water before leaving it in the sink. (Food that dries up on the plate will sometimes stay on the plate even after washing, and can cause stomach discomfort at a later point.)

When the mind is stressed, agitated, worked up, sad, angry and distracted you don’t secrete any digestive juices. You sure eat, but nothing gets digested or absorbed. Because you are feeling disturbed or stressed in your mind (which the body perceives as a threat to its survival), most of the food gets converted to fat (the natural reaction of the body when it thinks it’s under threat). Stress (caused by work, finance, relationships, traffic, lack of sleep, etc) leads to the secretion of cortisol in our body. The function of cortisol is to lower our metabolic rate, prevent fat burning

and help convert food to fat.

All your senses should be focussed on one thing: food. That way you will eat your food (and food won’t eat you); and you will secrete your digestive juices, nutrients will be delivered to cells which need energy and won’t get converted to fat.

You walk in NY and you walked in the Himalaya. You ate a lot in NY and in the Himalaya. The difference of course was in the state of mind. While cities and shopping pulls our senses in all directions, mountains, rivers, trees, skies, pull the senses inwards and make us feel more centred. So, when the senses are calmed the fire burns brighter and yes, it also burns more fat this way.

A relaxed state of mind is the best preparation for any indulgence.

Bottom line: when it comes to food think nutrients, not calories.

Cheat sheet The key to eating right is to focus while you eat: switch off the TV and mobile phone. You can digest the most amount of food between 7 am and 10 am. Stress can make you fat. Last night’s sabzi and dal retain very little nutrition the day after. Think global eat local; eat dosas in Chennai, momos in Ladakh and pasta in Italy. Stay close to your genes: as much as possible eat the food you and your family have grown up eating. Tell your body when you’re about to indulge and it will help you deal with the extra fat you’re going to be eating. It’s better for you to have a paneer paratha than a pizza. How many nutrients a food has is much more important than how many calories. 3 What to eat: rethink We

High GI foods (fast carbs) get converted to fat quickly and low GI foods (slow carbs) have a much better chance of getting utilised for energy instead of getting stored as fat.

Other low GI foods are; jowar, barley, bajra, nachni, legumes, dals, wholewheat. All sweets, biscuits, pizzas, processed juices, sherbets, jams and jellies are high on GI because they have no fibre. It takes no time for our body to convert the sugar that comes from these foods to fat. Stick to low GI food as a general rule. Your body can take high GI food only after exercise, when your body needs instant sugar. Now

So use your common sense. Just because it’s good for you don’t eat all you want; always keep in touch with your stomach and make sure you don’t cross the overeating threshold.

In India, or for Indians anywhere, avoiding carbs need not be high on the agenda. Look at Indian foods: poha, upma, parathas, idlis, dosas, dhokla, rice, dal, roti, sabzi, rajma, chole, etc. Most of our carbohydrates aren’t processed, and they retain their fibre, vitamin B and minerals. Also, if you look at our cooking style, everything gets a tadka or seasoning of 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil with some seeds like mustard, jeera (which add fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids), etc. The addition of a fat like oil or ghee in the tadka lowers the GI. The primary foods that we use in India, our cooking methods and our food combinations all work at reducing glycemic index and increasing fibre content of food. Now if we are also eating the Indian way, that is sitting on a mat, on the floor, using the crosslegged or sukhasan posture, saying our prayers (India is multicultural and religious, and all religions recommend prayer before eating) where we offer our food to God and consume the rest as prasad or God’s blessing, then we will remain super duper lean and fit. So eat high fibre carbohydrates as much as possible and cut the biscuits, cakes, pastries, pizzas and anything that’s low fibre. At the end of this section I have a list of carbs that you shouldn’t worry about, and a list of carbs that you should ideally eliminate or reduce from your diet.

But if you want to have the gulab jamun with all the sweet juice and have developed the discipline to eat just one, then eat it by itself as an in between meal. This way, the high glycemic index will be set off by low glycemic load (less food at one time) and this will improve the chances of your body not converting the sweet treat to fat.

We should eat fruits when we are in a fasting state or when our liver store is empty: so, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, or immediately after physical exercise. Any time aside from this, the body converts the fructose from the fruits into triglycerides

So eat your fruit first thing in the morning—but before your breakfast, not with it.

Carbs you should never eat (these are high GI and zero on nutrient) And how to cheat on them 1. Biscuit Eat them when you’ve done a very long physical activity like trekking, 2 or more hours of walking or shopping. In day to day life, restrict to one a week! I think biscuits are more harmful than cakes and pastries because no one worries about scarfing them down. 2. Cakes and pastries If you can’t bear to give up your favourite chocolate pastry, you’re in for good news. Have it first thing in the morning. Don’t replace your nutritious meal with this but have it in addition to it. Croissant lovers go ahead as well. But don’t indulge yourself more than once or twice a month. 3. Pizza One slice (we’re talking fast food pizza) and as a meal by itself. Perfect for after a long boring meeting. 4. Drink syrups, cold drinks (all drinks made from these, including sherbets, etc) After being out in the sun for a long while; the sugar will have less of an effect. Also after a long day or if you’re on holiday, have one every 2 to 3 days. 5. Mithais and all desserts (chocolates, etc included) Eat as a meal by itself. Have your mithai either an hour and a half after your lunch, or first thing in the morning. Again not more than once a month, if you have to have it! 6. Deep-fried food like samosas, pakoras, vada, bhujiya and kachori Eat first thing in the morning. Halve your first meal and have your deep-fried goody along with it, or as a meal by itself later in the afternoon. But restric...

Whey protein is a powder made from milk which you mix with water to turn into a drink. It has the best biological value of protein; which means that almost every gram of whey you consume gets used for its intended purpose and is absorbed by the body. Whey isolate, made from whey protein is a boon for lactose intolerant vegetarians like me as it doesn’t irritate the stomach or the intestines.

Word of caution: whey protein is a supplement. It is not supposed to be used as an alternative to eating correctly. Consuming adequate protein, carbs and fat by means of a well-balanced diet is a must. Only then can whey protein be of any help. Like with everything else, if you overdo it or depend on it alone to provide you with protein, you stand to lose out on its considerable benefits.

Proteins you should never eat…(these are high on saturated fats) And how to cheat on them 1. Sausages 2. Cold cuts and processed meats 3. Beef 4. Lamb 5. Pork Eat them as your first meal or after your post-workout meal. Eat them once a week provided you follow the four principles and exercise three hours a week. Proteins to eat through the day, that ensures optimum fat burning and sustained release of blood sugar Proteins to be consumed after exercise or any stressful activity Eggs, chicken, fish, all milk products (paneer, cheese, yoghurt, milk), soy milk, tofu, sprouts, lentils, nuts Protein powder (providing at least 20 grams of good quality protein per serving or 4-5 egg whites and this is a must) How to eat them How to eat them With vegetables, carbs or by themslves. Eggs, lentils, dairy products, soy and fish can be eaten at any time. Chicken should be eaten at the end of your working day as it’s relatively tougher to digest and can slow your body down during your working hours. The hours between 6 and 8 pm are a good time to eat fish and chicken as the body needs these nutrients then to repair itself. Eat them within ten minutes of your workout.

As a general rule, the fats in animal fats are tough on the body, while the ones found in dairy products are easily absorbed.

Unsaturated fats are further divided into three groups. Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) These are found in peanuts, olives, avocados, almonds.

They are considered very crucial in maintaining the health of the heart.

peanut oil (it’s always been around) and that new entrant, rice bran oil, have a strong content of MUFA. Their fatty acid content is similar to olive oil, and they have a flavour which is much better suited to Indian cooking than olive oil.

A lot of so called ‘low fat’ is a waste of money. You spend ridiculously high amounts to buy low fat cheese and butter which only has about 1 or max 2 grams of fat less than the regular ‘full fat’ variety.

Spiti is a cold, scenic trans-Himalayan region in Himachal Pradesh which lies between Ladakh and Tibet.

Make sure you have at least 1 teaspoon of homemade ghee a day, and have it guilt free. Ghee shall bless thou too.

Fats you should never eat. (these are trans fats) And how to cheat on them 1. Fats you get from red and processed meat Eat them as your first meal or after your post-workout meal. Eat these once a week, provided you follow the four key principles (see next chapter) and exercise 3 hours a week. Never combine a bad fat with a high GI food; say rice and meat, or biryani. All biryani lovers, save your feast for Eid! 2. Fat in deep-fried food (pakoras, samosas, bhujia, etc) Eat first thing in the morning. Halve your first meal and have it along with this. Otherwise have as a meal by itself in the later afternoon, but restrict to only one. Do not eat a mithai with your snack! You can enjoy one of these, once a week, but only if you’re eating correctly all six days and working out at least three hours a week. Don’t reuse the oil once you have deep-fried with it. Tip: avoid deep-fried food at large parties, because they are usually deep-fried twice. 3. Mithai, especially those made of nuts Eat as a meal by itself. Have it an hour and a half after your lunch. You could also have it first thing in the morning. But don’t mix it with your regular food. 4. Biscuits Eat them when you’ve done a very long, strenuous physical activity like trekking, 2 or more hours of shopping. In regular life, restrict to once a week! 5. Cakes and pastries If you can’t bear to give up your favourite chocolate pastry, you’re in for good news. Have it first thing in the morning. Don’t replace your nutritiou...

So, don’t wan’t muscle aches, joint problems, bloating, obesity or dull skin? Reach out for water. And drink beyond quenching your thirst. In fact drink water all the time, sip by sip, swirl it in your mouth like a good wine and let it move down your throat into your stomach. Relish every sip of it. Water is life. Blessed are thou who have good quality water flowing through your taps. The next time you feel sorry for yourself (for whatever reason) remind yourself of the biggest blessing that you are enjoying in this life: 24 hour (or most of the time) good quality water in your taps. It nourishes your being and makes life itself possible.